The Western Hemisphere’s deadliest volcano is showing signs of increased activity, prompting evacuations in Colombia
In 1985, the Nevado del Ruiz volcano erupted, killing 23,000 people in Colombia and wiping out the town of Armero. Now, authorities warn, the volcano could be ramping up to erupt again.
Experts say the volcano is showing signs of increased activity, which haven’t been observed since the tragedy in the 1980s. As a result, the alert level has been raised from yellow to orange, the second-highest level on the scale and residents on the upper slopes of the volcano are being evacuated.
Last week, the volcano registered an unprecedented average of 6,000 earthquakes per day, likely caused by magma moving through the main fault system, says Colombia's Geological Service (CGS). Prior to the change in status, the average was 50 per day.
On peak days, the CGS says, there have been as many as 12,000 earthquakes in a single day, though it notes “the number of daily earthquakes alone is not the only indicator that measures the behavior of a volcano.”
On Sunday, the CGS noted a marked decrease in the number of tremors.
The Western Hemisphere’s deadliest volcano is showing signs of increased activity, prompting evacuations in Colombia (msn.com)
